In trauma and emergency room (“ER”) situations, radiologists and the like utilize reformatted computed tomography (“CT”) images in order to maximize their diagnostic capabilities. For example, in a trauma or ER situation, a patient may require a CT scan of his or her head, chest, pelvis, spine, or extremities. In such a situation, the time and effort required to analyze axial CT images or the like may delay necessary medical attention. A radiologist may have to sort through a plurality of axial CT images, expending a great deal of time and effort, especially when images of the spine are involved. This compromises the medical needs of the patient.
For example, given conventional CT systems and methods, the radiologist may have to “click” on points associated with a plurality of axial CT images to create a “curved reformat.” Such curved reformats provide an enhanced view of a physical structure in question. In other words, points must be selected along a curve of interest, from a plurality of axial CT images, in order to obtain an enhanced view of the physical structure in question. The process of selecting these points may be time-consuming and tedious, especially when a plurality of images, or “thin slices,” are involved. Often, the same curved reformat, or “curved view,” is created for patients with similar injuries, requiring the radiologist to repeat the same time-consuming, tedious process from patient to patient. As a result, curved views and other similar reformatted CT images are used infrequently, compromising patient care.
Thus, what is needed are systems and methods that maximize the amount of relevant information that a radiologist or the like may obtain from a CT scan, while minimizing the amount of time and the number of clicks that it takes to obtain such information. Accordingly, what is needed are systems and methods for generating a curved reformat or other similar reformatted CT image with as few clicks or point selections as possible.